Hi friend, It’s a common misconception that you need to spend a lot of money to grow a native garden (or my preferred term, an eco-garden). In reality, it’s much cheaper than a traditional garden. Eco-gardening means applying sustainable and regenerative practices to your yard. This can look like using materials already on site, making your own compost, and relying on natural processes to do a lot of the work. It’s been a little over three years since I started transforming my yard. My front...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hi friend, As I post more on social media about the problems caused by invasive plants, I realize how much misunderstanding there is around these issues. I always get a little discouraged when I see firsthand how misinformed the general public is about how nature works. But I also understand that it's a systemic issue. We aren't taught about these things. I recently made this post on Facebook and Instagram, showing a handful of common invasive species in North America. For some reason, people...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friend, Did you know that one of the most invasive trees in the eastern half of the United States was introduced on purpose by the US government? That’s right, the smelly Callery pear and its man-made cultivar the ‘Bradford’ pear were both cultivated intentionally by the US Department of Agriculture. Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) is a tree that’s native to China and Vietnam and was first introduced to the US by the US Dept of Agriculture in 1916 to breed with the common European pear...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friend, When I first started studying the ecological impacts of lawns and non-native plants, one of the most surprising facts I found was that “Kentucky bluegrass” (Poa pratensis) isn’t even native to anywhere in North America - it’s from Europe and Asia. I’ve lived in Kentucky my entire life, but for some reason, I had to go to graduate school to learn this. And whenever I tell fellow Kentuckians about this, they’re equally shocked. Bluegrass is actually even on KY’s official list of...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi friend, Let’s be real, at some point or another in your eco-garden journey you’re going to get stuck. Invasive plants you thought were gone sneak back in Your starter plants die before they get established Soil regeneration takes longer than you expected I’m here to tell you, that’s totally normal. In fact, these are badges of honor! It means you care, you’re trying, and you won’t give up. A lot of us seem to think success is a straight line with no mess ups, downswings, or...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi friend, Have you ever wondered about the history behind lawns? Where did they come from? Why do we have them? Well, lawns can be traced back directly to the colonization of America. There are no turf grasses that are native to North America, including “Kentucky” bluegrass. European settlers brought these grasses with them from Europe to feed their livestock. Manors owned by the upper class in England had large lawn-like areas of turf grass surrounding the buildings. These areas were used...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friend, It’s rough out there. Along with the general apocalyptic state of the world, my personal life continues to beat the sh*t out of me. So I’m running a flash sale in my online shop right now through next Monday, Feb 10th. Get 20% off all orders with code COW20 at checkout. Go shop now here, or keep reading for the saga of my cat Cowvin’s outrageous medical bills. If there’s one thing the universe loves to do, it’s to make me handle more than one crisis at the same time. Two weeks ago,...
5 months ago • 3 min read
Hi friend, Something that I don’t think is talked about enough is the fact that we’re living through one of the largest mass extinction events to ever happen on Earth. Our planet has lost 73% of wildlife biodiversity between 1970 and 2020, according to the World Wildlife Fund's Living Planet Report Right now, 40% of all insect species globally are in decline. And up to 1/3 of all insects are in the range to be endangered. Insects are the foundation of the food chain for both human and...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hi friend, I’m guessing you follow me because you want to improve your yard’s impact on the planet. So I wanted to share 5 steps every gardener should take to make their yard more self-sufficient, sustainable, and eco-friendly. 1 - Compost 🍄 Not only does composting reduce your waste and improve your carbon footprint, but it’s also one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve soil health! Healthy soil is the secret to abundant, thriving, pest-free plants AND it helps sequester...
6 months ago • 1 min read
